An RWJF Collection

From August 2003 through February 2004, Health Level Seven created an electronic health record system, as well as security standards and communications protocols.

Health Level Seven, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., is a nonprofit standards development organization.

Key Results

Health Level Seven accomplished the following:

Created the Electronic Health Record System Functional Model. The functional model is a reference list of 132 functions organized into "functional profiles" that define how the terms are used in particular care settings (e.g., intensive care, cardiology, primary care).

Submitted the functional model for a vote by interested parties in the health care industry from August 6 to September 5, 2003. The initial ballot did not pass.

Used comments from the ballot and feedback from six outreach meetings to revise the functional model. In 2004, the revised model passed.

Several major industry stakeholders adopted the functional model as a standard for their own companies, according to the project director.